Julie MarshSupporters of Sarah Palin seem to view her as the second coming of Christ, and given her self-appointed code name of "North Star," it seems that she agrees with them. Speculation on a 2012 presidential run by Palin almost sounds as if her candidacy is divinely ordained.

Next thing we know, she'll tell us she was born in a barn because all the hospital beds were occupied.

Not so fast, cautions Politics Daily. Mike Huckabee could pose fierce competition for Sarah Palin, even among those Republicans who, inexplicably, think she's a well-qualified candidate.

Ever play that game on long road trips where you have to choose between two seemingly equally horrible scenarios, like giving a 20-minute speech in front of your high school graduating class while naked or subsisting entirely on bugs for a month? That's how I view a choice between Palin and Huckabee. I'll take what's behind door number three, thanks.

No, really? I have to choose? Then it's got to be Huckabee. (How's that for a campaign slogan? It's got to be Huckabee. Copyrighting that now.)

He's as socially conservative as she is, or perhaps even more so given his ministry. He's a FOX News commentator like she is. He drops his g's occasionally, though less often than she does. But who's more qualified? Hands down, Mike Huckabee. Furthermore, who would I rather have representing our country in the world? Huckabee.

I'm admittedly impressed by Politics Daily's recap of how, as Arkansas governor, "Huckabee faced a legislature with 89 Democrats out of 100 legislators in the House and only four Republicans in the 35-seat Senate. Yet, Huckabee found a way to govern." Palin knows how to govern people who agree with her. Governing those who may not march in lockstep requires more finesse.

With the advent of the Tea Party, plus the ostracizing and name-calling within the Republican party, a successful GOP candidate will have to bridge those gaps, as well as work with Democrats. Huckabee demonstrated he could do that at the state level. Palin isn't interested in working with anyone who doesn't agree with her, and her governing style at a national level would appear to be more dictatorial than consensus-building.

Huckabee's personable and has the same sort of beer-drinking, pretzel-munching, football-watching appeal that George W. Bush did, but he's far more well-spoken than the former president. Palin attempts to cultivate that ability to connect with people, but hers is a caricature of Huckabee's, and it arouses suspicion. Those who love her are convinced they know her, but the rest of us aren't so sure.

Play along with me (Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, Socialists, even you commie pinkos -- everyone's welcome): Naked speech, or bugs for lunch? Huckabee or Palin?